


Interlude: Birthday

by Dragongoddess13



Series: Ghost Whisperer AU [6]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Ghost Whisperer AU, Interlude
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:46:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24439159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragongoddess13/pseuds/Dragongoddess13
Summary: A little information, and a little fluff for Arya's birthday.
Relationships: Arya Stark/Gendry Waters
Series: Ghost Whisperer AU [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1715362
Comments: 15
Kudos: 122





	Interlude: Birthday

Interlude: Birthday

xXx

“So wait, the three robbers at the bank were a distraction for a larger gang?” Sana’a asks, sounding just as confused as Arya did when Gendry called to tell her what he had found out from his colleagues. “The rest of the gang sent them in to get trapped so the police would focus their resources on them, keeping them from interfering with several other robberies happening simultaneously across town? Am I understanding this right?” 

Arya nods. “Basically yes. Except, the robber known as Eli, who is actually Joe’s younger brother, didn’t know about it. Joe told him that he was in deep with a bookie and the bookie told him if he did this job for him he would clear his books.” 

“But why would this Eli agree to help? I mean, I love you, all of you, but if any of you asked me to help you rob a bank to pay off a debt I would just tell dad.” Sansa tells her. 

“Good to know.” Arya pops a pizza roll into her mouth, biting into it and enjoying the feeling of it popping in her mouth. Sansa grabbed on for herself, taking a small bite from the corner. “There seems to be a history there, if what their family members say is true. Something about Joe always dragging Eli into trouble even when Eli tried to stay away from him.” 

“Glad our family has never been that bad.” Sansa replies. Arya hums, grabbing another pizza roll and popping it into her mouth. 

“So, what time is everyone supposed to get here?” 

Sansa looks at her watch. “Two hours.” 

“And Margaery is sending a car for them at the airport?” 

Sansa nods. “You know if you don’t want them staying here you just have to say the word. We’ll take them to our house.” 

Arya sighs. “No, it’s alright. Your house barely fits the five of you now, there’s no way you can accommodate two more. Not to mention everyone else when they finally get here.”

“We’re one of the wealthiest families in Westeros, how is it no one ever thinks to book a hotel?” 

“We all think about it every time, but you know how mum and dad are. They’re so old fashioned. They want to be right there all the time, like when we were all still living at home.” Arya explains, though she knows Sansa knows this. “At least I live alone. There’s plenty of room for everyone.” she continues. 

Sansa hums, the sound setting Arya’s nerves on edge. She knows better than to think her sister is just absently agreeing with her. There’s something there in the sound, a hint that maybe this conversation is about to turn on her. 

“Speaking of being alone.” she says, her voice trailing off. 

“Wow, just right in for the kill.” Arya replies, shaking her head. 

Sansa rolls her eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic, you knew it was coming. Now stop stalling and tell me all about Gendry.”

“What about him?” she asks, confused. 

Sansa looks unimpressed. “Oh please, you talk about him all the time.” 

“I do not.” 

“You really do. I don’t think there’s been a conversation since you two met that you haven’t brought him up at least once.” 

“So what, he’s my friend.” 

Sansa smirks. “Just your friend?” 

“Yes, just my friend.” she insists. “You know you’re worse than Ygritte about him. She keeps insisting there’s something there when there clearly isn’t.” 

“Ygritte’s always had a sixth sense about these things.” Sansa says sagely. 

“Well even people like Ygritte have to be wrong sometime.” 

Sansa looks unimpressed again. “For as much as you talk about him, you would think I’d have met him by now, but from what I hear only Jon and Ygritte have and that only seems to be because he and Jon work together.” 

“He’s not a people person. Honestly, I don’t think he ever got out much before he started helping me with the house.” 

“That’s kind of sad.” Sansa mutters. Then to Arya says; “It sounds like he’s making an effort for you though.” 

Arya stops short at the thought, suddenly unable to form the words to dispute Sansa’s claim. Was he? Was he really stepping outside his comfort zone to spend time with her? It sounded ridiculous to her, honestly. Gendry had initially come over because working on the house granted him access to fond memories and the ability to scratch an itch he hadn’t been able to in years. Their friendship was a by-product of that, and the time they spent together was almost exclusively spent here at the house or at the precinct. She’d never even been to his own home. She knew he lived in a flat in fleabottom, but that was pretty much it. 

No, he wasn’t really changing his ways for her. He was still a homebody, he just wasn’t at his own home. Besides, she didn’t really think she was worth stepping outside his comfort zone for. 

Even as she thinks it, she feels the sting of it. It strikes her hard in the gut, the realization that she wants him to think she’s worth it. She wouldn’t necessarily call it romantic, but Gendry is the first person she’s connected with on such a strong level that the idea of him not thinking the same rocks the foundations of what she’s believed for almost a year now. That Gendry has become a close friend, not just an acquaintance looking to escape the monotony of his life and latching onto the first person who shows the same level of dysfunction as him. 

“We’re just friends.” Arya replies, aware of the lack of conviction in her tone. She’s tired, it’s only been a couple of days since the bank robbery and she’s still coming to terms with everything that’s happened. At least that’s what she tells herself. The truth is she’s still riding the high of being thrust back into her chosen profession. All of it forcing her to finally sit down and consider everything that’s happened in the last few years and everything that needs to happen to put her life back together. 

The look Sansa gives her is full of pity, intentional or not, and Arya resolves to push past it before this conversation can get away from her permanently. “So, I’ve decided to see a therapist.” she says, diverting the conversation. 

Sansa looks stunned for a moment before a grin splits her face. “Really?” Arya nods. “Arya that’s wonderful, have you found anyone yet?” 

“No, I’m doing my research now. I’m not sure I want anyone else to know, so I haven’t called Aunt Lyanna to ask for recommendations or anything.” 

“You should see my old doctor.” Sansa tells her, getting up from the sofa to grab her purse from the far sofa. She digs through it, pulling a business card out of a side pocket. “She’s amazing, and she knows all about our family thanks to our sessions.” 

“Is she a believer?” Arya asks, accepting the card. 

“I don’t know. We’ve never discussed it to that extent, but when I mention it in sessions she doesn’t react so that has to mean something.” 

Arya simply nods, reading the card; 

_ Dr. Marya Seaworth. Ph.D _

_ Psychiatrist _

_ 1254 Onion Blvd _

_ King’s Landing, South Westeros 16264 _

_ (440) 568-9574 _

“Seaworth? Any relation to Davos?”

“Her husband’s name is Davos. Why?” 

“Captain Davos Seaworth is Gendry’s boss.” 

“Well, assuming her husband talks to her about his work, she’ll know even more about you then. That’ll certainly make explaining things easier.” Sansa replies. Arya can’t really argue with that, so she simply thanks her, promising to call. 

xXx

Arya turns 35 on a Wednesday, so the Saturday before, her family throws her a party. Her parents had come down to spend a week with her after what had happened at the bank and the rest of the family followed shortly after having already planned to come down for her birthday. 

She spends the day surrounded by the people who mean the most to her. Her parents, of course. Her oldest brother Robb and his wife Jeyne along with their two kids. Jon and Ygritte and Aunt Lyanna are there, Rhaegar apparently had a business trip, not that she’s all that considered with his absence. She doesn’t particularly care for her uncle by marriage. All that matters is that her aunt loves him and he treats her like the queen she is. Her Uncle Brandon is there, but her Uncle Benjen is stuck working through the weekend. Sansa and Margaery are there with their three adopted children and Bran brought along his boyfriend Jojen Reed. Rickon acts like a little shit most of the time, but she’s missed him enough to just punch him in the arm and look the other way. 

Her mother cooks the most amazing meal and everyone spoils her with presents and by the end of the day she’s so exhausted that for the first time since the robbery she doesn’t fall asleep only to awoken by the maniacal grin of Timothy Martin. 

Her family leaves Monday morning, eliciting promises from her that she will call as much as possible and to visit long before the next solstice. 

That Wednesday, Ygritte scheduled her off, giving her the evening to do absolutely anything she wants, no questions asked. She sleeps in, lounges around the house in her pajamas all day and then around dinner time, she orders more food than any one person can eat from her favorite restaurant and prepares to hunker down in front of the tv to watch a nonstop marathon of all her favorite monster movies. 

She’s just queued up The Creature From Ice Breaker Bay when the doorbell rings. She peeks through the window beside the front door, catching sight of the familiar form of Gendry through the glass. His back is to her, his head turned out toward the front yard. She smiles involuntarily, opening the door. He turns at the sound. 

“Hey.” She greets him. 

“Hey, happy birthday.” he tells her, turning to face the door as she steps aside to let him in. As he turns to face her, she catches sight of the potted plant in his hands and smiles. He takes that as his cue to hand it over to her. 

“Thank you, they’re beautiful.” she replies, admiring the bright pink orchids. She had once confided in him that she loved the color pink. It was just so bright and fun and happy, it seemed silly to not like it, but thanks to her insistence as a child, in a hatred for all things feminine, she couldn’t actually admit that to anyone. She wasn’t really sure why Gendry was different. “Come on in. Have you eaten?” she asks, noticing that he’s still dressed for work. 

“No, not yet. Just got off the clock.” he tells her, watching as she makes her way over the small table below the front living room window. She moves a trinket and replaces it with the potted Orchid. 

“Well, get comfortable. I ordered more food than I could ever eat alone.” she insists. She doesn’t stick around long enough for him to argue, ducking into the kitchen and returning with a plate, silverware and a beer. He’s on the sofa when she returns, his suit jacket removed and sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He’s got the DVD case in his hand, reading the back. 

“So, how was your birthday?” he asks, leaning back in his seat with beer perched on his knee. 

“Good. Spent the whole day lounging around it was nice.” 

Gendry chuckles. “Sounds lovely to me. How about your party?” 

“Better than I expected. It was nice to see everyone.” 

“I’ll bet. I got to meet your aunt.” He tells her. “She came in to see Jon at the precinct while she was in town.” 

“Oh yeah, how did that go?” 

“I know you’re tired of hearing this, but you really do look like her.” he says. Arya rolls her eyes in mock exasperation. “You two could be sisters.” he chuckles. 

“Yeah, yeah. People used to think Jon and I were the siblings growing up.” 

“Well, other than all that, everything was good?” 

She smiles. “Yeah, it was great. I think it was just what I needed. It’s amazing what family can do for you.” 

She catches the rueful smile on his face as he takes a long pull from his beer, but before she can ask he grabs his plate. “Well, come on, start the movie, I’ve never seen this one before.” 

“You’ve never seen this?” she asks outraged. 

“That’s what I said.” he replies nonplussed. 

“What is wrong with you, how have you never seen this movie? It’s a classic.”

Gendry looks at her, a snarky smirk on his face. “If you play the damn thing I’ll get to watch it now.” 

Arya huffs, reaching for the remote and pressing play. 


End file.
